Important Notice: Price Hike Alert for Usb Disk Core NAND Chips – Please Place Orders ASAP for Pre-holiday Stock
Dear Customers/Partners,
Thank you for your long-term trust and support! Focusing on the core NAND chips of U disks, we hereby issue an urgent notice regarding their price hikes, impacts, and stock preparation arrangements. We kindly request you to plan and place your orders as soon as possible.
I. Core Chips of U Disks: NAND Flash Memory and Controller Chips
● Core Composition: A U disk is mainly composed of NAND flash memory chips (storing data, accounting for 70%-80% of the total cost) and controller chips (managing read/write operations and ECC error correction, determining the speed and stability of the device).
● Mainstream Types of NAND Flash Memory:
○ QLC: Each cell stores 4 bits, featuring the lowest cost and large capacity with around 300-500 erase/write cycles. It is the mainstream choice for current consumer-grade U disks and has seen the sharpest price hikes (especially for large-capacity models of 1TB and above).
○ TLC: Each cell stores 3 bits, with 500-1000 erase/write cycles, balancing cost and service life. It is commonly used in mid-range U disks.
○ MLC/SLC: They come with high cost and long service life (MLC: about 3,000-10,000 erase/write cycles; SLC: about 100,000 erase/write cycles). Mostly applied in industrial-grade products, they are rarely used in ordinary U disks.
● Controller Chips: Mainstream solutions from Phison, Silicon Motion and other brands are responsible for NAND scheduling, protocol conversion and data protection, whose performance affects the read/write speed and compatibility of U disks.
II. Core Logic of NAND Chip Price Hikes (Root Cause of Surging U Disk Costs)
1. AI Demand Siphoning: Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have diverted over 80% of their advanced production capacity to high-margin HBM and enterprise-grade storage, drastically reducing the supply of consumer-grade NAND chips.
2. Supply Control and Price Hikes by Manufacturers: The contract price of consumer-grade NAND chips for Q1 has increased by 33%-38% month-on-month, with that of large-capacity QLC chips rising by over 40%. Manufacturers have abandoned long-term contracts and adopted quarterly contracting. Channel inventories are less than 2 months, and the "reluctance to sell and stockpiling" trend has further intensified the price hikes.
3. Cost Pass-through: The price hikes of NAND chips have directly driven up the costs of U disks with 1TB capacity and above. The prices of small-capacity models remain temporarily stable due to rigid demand, but they still face upward pressure in the future.
III. Key Impacts on U Disk Procurement
1. Price Escalation in Stages: Prices of U disks with 1TB and above have already risen significantly. Subsequent quotations will be dynamically adjusted according to the chip market conditions, with no fixed price guarantee period.
2. Tight Supply Before the Festival: As the Spring Festival approaches, upstream factories will shut down for holidays and logistics services will be tightened. Orders placed after January 25 may face prolonged production cycles, delayed deliveries or even stock shortages.
3. Inventory Lock-in Window: It is recommended to place orders before January 25 to lock in the current prices and inventory. Quotations for orders placed after the deadline will be re-issued based on the latest market conditions.
IV. Urgent Stock Preparation Suggestions
1. Prioritize Locking in Large-capacity Rigid Demand: Price hikes for 1TB and above models are the most significant. Please place orders as soon as possible if you have rigid demand to avoid higher costs after the festival.
2. Confirm Models and Chips: Check the NAND type (QLC/TLC) and controller solution before placing orders to ensure they match your needs and avoid the risk of low-quality products at low prices.
3. Contact Your Account Manager: For the latest quotations, inventory status or bulk purchase plans, please contact us at any time to ensure smooth stock preparation and supply.
Thank you again for your understanding and support. We will make every effort to help you cope with market fluctuations and ensure supply chain stability!
Shenzhen Suntrap Electronic Technology Co., Ltd
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